1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nebuliser for a fluid, with a preferably insertable container with a fluid space for the fluid as well as a container for a nebuliser.
2. Description of Related Art
A nebuliser available under the trademark RESPIMAT® in the form of an inhaler is known, and is illustrated in its basic form in International Patent Application Publication WO 91/14468 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,271) and in a specific configuration in International Patent Application Publication WO 97/12687 A1 (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,918,547 and 6,726,124) as well as in FIGS. 1 & 2 of the accompanying drawings. The nebuliser has, as a reservoir for a fluid to be atomized, an insertable rigid container with a deflatable inner bag containing the fluid and a pressure generator with a drive spring for delivering and atomizing the fluid.
Before the nebuliser is used for the first time, it is opened by loosening a lower housing part, and the sealed container is inserted into the nebuliser. The container is opened by a delivery tube that is introduced into the container as far as the inner bag when the said container is inserted. The lower housing part is then slipped on again.
The drive spring can be tensioned by rotating the lower housing part of the nebuliser. During the tensioning (priming) the container within the nebuliser is moved in a stroke-like manner into the lower housing part and fluid is sucked from the inner bag into a pressure chamber of the pressure generator. After manual actuation of a locking element the fluid in the pressure chamber is pressurized by the drive spring and discharged by means of the delivery tube and without propellant gas through a nozzle into a mouthpiece as an aerosol.
The container comprises an aeration device on the base side, which is pierced during the initial tensioning of the nebuliser and is thereby permanently opened. The aeration device serves to aerate the container so that the inner bag can deflate when fluid is removed, without a reduced pressure thereby being produced in the bag.
International Patent Application Publication WO 00/27543 A1 (U.S. Pat. No. 6,223,933), which forms the starting point of the present invention, discloses various aeration and pressure compensation devices for such a container with a debatable inner bag. The devices serve to provide only a slow pressure compensation between the ambient atmosphere and the gas space between the inner bag and the rigid outer case of the container.